BRIELLE’S POV
"Get up!"Brielle heard a broad voice grumble as the red-blonde girls all hurried to stand up, knowing they had to obey or face punishment.She had no idea how many days had passed in this hell hole, and after being sold by or to Mr. Shawn, she and some other young girls like her had all been confined inside a minor space more akin to a room, which barely had anything to adorn its interior, except the illuminating light on.There was no bed or mattresses whatsoever, and they had to eat and sleep on the bare cold floor."Stand up, will you?!" The voice growled again as he approached her, jerking and shoving her arm roughly until she let out a low moan of pain.Twitching her lips, Brielle fluttered her eyelids so she could see the light of day, and she started rubbing her eyelids, pretending to have been asleep all this time even though she wasn't.She was terrified and perplexed.Her head, which had been hit some days back, still ached so badly, and by the brisk manner she sat up, glancing around the room in intense thought, one could tell she was precisely waking up.However, this was a lie, as she had not been sleeping, but she acted very well."Ah!" An audible gasp escaped her lips as she hastily held her head with her hands, desperately trying to numb the assaulting pain she felt inside, and she closed her eyes once more."Stop being a baby and go dress up right now!"When she opened her eyes to the rude masculine voice, another kind of fear and immense dread filled her as she realized it was none other than Mr. Shawn talking.The man who had betrayed her and her late father's best friend.He stood directly in front of her, his glaring eyes fixed on her, his hands on his midsection, and a wicked smirk on his face."Huh... huh?" She gradually asked slowly as she stood to her feet.Gawking around, she saw young girls who were similarly possessing the same red-blonde hair as hers, dressing up themselves hurriedly like some sluts.When did these ladies arrive, or did something happen before now?When did they begin dressing?They had probably been dressing the entire time she pretended to be sleepy, and when she looked around, she saw that they were dressed in scantily clad clothing, and their inner bodies were brazenly exposed."You're going to dress like them too!" Mr. Shawn alerted her, turning to face her, and she gasped in horror."No... no way. I can't dress like this!" She swerved to face him promptly."Why am I going to dress this way? Where am I? What's this place?" She queried.She needed to know because after driving for days on the road, she and the girls were brought to a building, blindfolded, and led to this room where she stood, and this was the first activity that had ever taken place.She looked at him, puzzled, expecting an answer, but instead, he scoffed at her.Before Mr. Shawn could say anything to Brielle, two non-disabled men shuffled into the room, and she watched as the two men moved towards them in fast strides, briefly locking her eyes.She was completely awkward and embarrassed by the unexpected guys stepping in, and surprisingly, the half-naked blondes were not shy, shaky, or even trying to conceal their bare nudity in any way."This is your order, Sir!" One of the bald guys announced as he handed over an elegant bag to Mr. Shawn, who immediately grinned at them as he recklessly accepted the bag."Thank you!"He said to them, a satisfied smirk on his face, and they nodded before vacating the space but not without the other guy. The one who had been in the room since wielding a cigarette to his lips, and he shot a wink at Brielle, who cringed at his hideous, ugly face."Wear this!" Mr. Shawn snapped at her, making her drag her gaze back from the guy."Huh?" She sarcastically inquired as she stared at his scowling grey orbs, "You heard me!" He said, throwing the bag at her, and it thumped heavily at her chest before falling to the floor instead."Wear it before I come back here or else... you don't want to see the other brutal side of me!" Mr. Shawn yelled again, this time so loudly that the other girls glanced their way."You… you can't make... me... wear this." Brielle said defiantly to him, ostensibly looking at the bag of clothes while avoiding his now piercing gaze."What do you mean?" Mr Shawn growled at her, and if words could cause fire, she was certain his would have done so.Soon enough, before she could say a thing, Brielle felt a hand landing on her face harshly, and she fell to the bed in whines."Agh!' She screamed, clutching her hot cheeks that Mr. Shawn had slapped on."This is just a heads-up! If you don't follow my instructions, you'll get more, or I'll roast your privates!" He snarled at her before fleeing, not even waiting for her to respond.He would roast her privates if she didn't dress like this? Oh my goodness! She exclaimed to herself as she began sobbing uncontrollably."If you want to leave here alive, you must grant his wish. This is my first visit, but I've not heard good things about this place. He will not hesitate to do what he has warned you about." As she strided past, one of the red blondes murmured to her.Brielle was bawling, whimpering, and whining in pain as she slowly stood up to get dressed, and she knew she had no choice but to obey Mr. Shawn's orders, just as the red blonde had advised.And therein, she proceeded to dress similarly like the other red blondes, indecently and in pain...BRIELLE'S POVHer heart fluttered like a flower picked from a peaceful garden. Brielle searched for words to convey how she felt as Darius hoisted her up the floor. Euphoria. Joy. Thrill. Delight. Excitement. Surprise. Yes. These words clearly defined the situation, but there was more going on. Something deeper. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she didn't know what word to use, but it wasn't happiness. It was more than that. "My love. Mine, all mine..." Darius repeated in her ears as he twirled her around. After a few minutes, he dropped her back onto her feet.Brielle remained still for a moment, attempting to regain her breath. Her mind buzzed with so many different thoughts, and she felt dizzy and possibly lightheaded from all the dancing, but that didn't stop her from stretching her toes and kissing Darius on the cheek."How are you feeling?" Darius asked, and she replied. “I feel on top of the world. Or maybe I'm already flying through it; I have no idea
A MONTH LATERDARIUS' POVThe banquet went better than Darius had anticipated.He had hoped for a low-key and personal ceremony in which he could deliver the glad news to his people and seal the everlasting union with his partner, but the event planners had other ideas. They'd gone over and aboard, and he surprisingly approved. Every area of the castle was artistically ornamented with gold and scarlet decorations. Everything was stunning, from the beautiful wall tapestries to the intricate floral arrangements, and the crystal chandelier glowed like a light in the hall's center. It was ethereal. Just like the woman for whom this entire charade was intended. Darius smiled as he continued to glance around. His gaze swept through the guests in the room, mingling, drinking, and speaking in groups. He also watched the servants rushing around carrying platters, refilling drinks, and doing almost anything to keep the party going. Finally, his wandering attention was interrupted by the mo
BRIELLE’S POVThere wasn’t a force more powerful in the universe than love. At least, that was what Brielle was thinking as she watched Darius dress in front of the mirror.Her lips watered as he flexed his muscles to remove the white shirt that hugged his body's curves.They had both healed, and all that remained were the scars. Though as memories converged in her head, she nearly let out a whimper. She’d gone through a lot, and damn! Anytime she remembered the whippings, electric shocks, cold water dousing, and even days she went without food, tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't easy to forget what had happened, but with Darius, it was becoming easier than she had expected. He was at her side throughout the recovery process, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. "Like what you see?" Darius smirked, interrupting Brielle's thoughts.He was looking at her through the mirror, and when their eyes met, her cheeks flushed. She looked away."Umm." She murmured and said n
DARIUS POV Darius walked carefully down the corridor with his guards in tow. He’d woke up a few hours earlier, and all he could think about was seeing Brielle. The dream from the day before continued to torment him, keeping him half-awake all night. Now, all he wanted was to see and hug her tightly. Then he’d apologize for how he had neglected her—the anguish he'd caused her by not being present when she needed him most. And maybe she'd forgive him. But would she? The inexplicable torture she went through in Draken Havix's hands, as well as his irresponsible choice to send her out into the wild, was nothing short of horrific. It was unforgivable, and Brielle deserved much better. She deserved more than to be with a man like that. He was a coward and an idiot who couldn’t even admit that she had transformed him from who he used to be to a better person. But then, he was also a selfish fool, so he wouldn’t let her go. Not in this lifetime or the next. Regardless of these thought
SOME DAYS LATERBRIELLE'S POV Her eyelids fluttered slowly, and Brielle groaned softly as a dull pain throbbed through her temples. It took a few more attempts before she could open them properly, and eventually, they slid wide enough for her to see where she was.Brielle had to squint a little until her eyes adjusted to the light, which was in stark contrast to what she was used to - dim lighting, quiet, and empty space. 'Where was she?' She frowned and pondered, 'How did she get here?'.She tried to push herself up into a sitting position but froze when a sharp pain shot through her skull again."Damn it." She muttered quietly, lifting a hand to her forehead, only to discover that it was attached to something, and she could not move it. "Fuck! Where am I?" She cursed aloud and, with her eyes roaming, began taking inventory of the room. And that's when she noticed it. The familiar curtains dangling from the windows. The dark red couches facing one another, and gold-plated side ta
BRIELLE'S POVBrielle's eyes opened and shut as she slipped into and out of consciousness.Her entire body hurt; her head ached, and her chest was on fire. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything, and her eyesight was fuzzy.She could only hear noises, low whispering voices that appeared to come from all directions simultaneously. She could also feel soft wisps of cool breeze on her skin, confirming that she was outside.She wasn't in that terrible cell anymore, being tortured by those evil men.But if she wasn't present, where was she? She remembered sprinting through the palace hallways, looking for a way out, but then...She slowly began to recollect what happened after that. Her memories were returning slowly. Brielle had planned to flee once the guards left, with the cell door open and the key having fallen out of their pocket by accident. She remembered scanning left and right to ensure she didn't knock into anyone. It seemed strange how empty the hallways were.She
DARIUS POVDarius fought with all of his strength. He hit and punched, channeling his inner strength until Draken was a bloody mess.Earlier, when Draken had transformed into a wolf and leaped at him, Darius had been prepared for it. His fangs and claws had sharpened, and he’d transformed into his lycanthrope wolf form. He rarely shifted, but when he did, he wasted no time. As a Lycan, he would always be faster than his opponent and better equipped to catch his prey. So when the man attacked, Darius didn't even think about what he could do. His beast form had switched to autopilot, and its instincts took over. He'd scarcely noticed anything when he attacked. He only felt the pain of the punches and strikes, which weren't too severe because he wasn't on the receiving end of them. Draken, on the other hand, was severely beaten. His hairy face was matted with blood, and there were several large gashes all over his body. At this point, he wasn't even fighting back, just squirming and
BRIELLE'S POV"What is happening?" Brielle overheard the question, as many guards entered the cell with troubled expressions."There is a very big problem." One of them spoke, and despite her weakness, Brielle managed to stretch her ears enough to hear what they were saying. "Which is? Can someone fucking talk to me?" Another guard inquired, and the whip in his hand tumbled to the floor. It fell with a resounding thud, and the sound echoed off the cell walls.The air seemed to cool even more. The room was silent for a long time until one of the guards spoke up again. "Master Draken and Lord Darius are…"Brielle's heart sank when she heard Darius's name."Goodness gracious please, let nothing happen to him…" The words came out of her mouth unexpectedly, almost in prayer, and a stray tear streamed down her left cheek. The guards resumed discussing, but this time in quiet tones, as if frightened Brielle would hear them. It irritated her, and she wanted to yell. She wanted to question t
BRIELLE'S POV "Please…" Brielle begged and screamed at the top of her lungs, but the guards did not stop. The more she pleaded, the more the torture increased, and they continued to whip her body with their batons.But she understood why this was happening. Darius was here again. He'd arrived yesterday, and while she hadn't seen him, the rate at which her torture had risen was clear evidence of this. Her agonizing yells were intended to convey a message to Darius. Draken was using it as a tactic to demonstrate that he still had the upper hand and leverage. Brielle's heart wrenched painfully as she thought of the wicked older man who held her captive. A shiver ran down Brielle's spine as she remembered their talk from last night.He'd informed her that Darius still loved her, and despite her misery, she couldn't deny that his words had given her hope. Even when he made insulting jokes about her and Darius's deaths, a small part of her brain ignored the unpleasant words and focused